Botswana Athletics Association (BAA) is an IAAF recognised member officially representing

Botswana Botswana (, ), officially the Republic of Botswana ( tn, Lefatshe la Botswana, label= Setswana, ), is a landlocked country in Southern Africa. Botswana is topographically flat, with approximately 70 percent of its territory being the Kalaha ...

as the national governing body for the sport of

Athletics Athletics may refer to: Sports * Sport of athletics, a collection of sporting events that involve competitive running, jumping, throwing, and walking ** Track and field, a sub-category of the above sport * Athletics (physical culture), competi ...

History

Less than six years after the independence of Botswana, the Botswana Athletics Association was formed at a meeting at the Gaborone Secondary School on June 18, 1972. The organization was registered in June 1979, naming Lt. General Mompati Merafhe as its president. After he retired from the military, Merafhe became Botswana's

Minister of Foreign Affairs A foreign affairs minister or minister of foreign affairs (less commonly minister for foreign affairs) is generally a cabinet minister in charge of a state's foreign policy and relations. The formal title of the top official varies between co ...

and

Vice-President of Botswana The vice-president of Botswana is the second-highest executive official in the Government of Botswana. The vice-president is appointed by the president of Botswana among elected members of the National Assembly. The vice-president is the constit ...

from 2008 to 2012. The organization's responsibility covers the same broad umbrella of

events as the world governing body, the IAAF, with the goal of athletes competing on the international stage.. The current president is Phaphane Botlhale. Botswana athletes have found success in long sprinting and middle distance events;

Nijel Amos Nijel Carlos Amilfitano Amos (born 15 March 1994) is a Motswana middle-distance runner who competes in the 800 metres. He won silver at the 2012 Summer Olympics, which was Botswana's first ever Olympic medal. Early life Nijel Amos is from Ma ...

won the first Olympic medal as a junior athlete, finishing with a silver medal in the 800 metres at the 2012 Olympics behind

David Rudisha David Lekuta Rudisha, MBS (born 17 December 1988) is a Kenyan middle-distance runner who specialized in the 800 metres. He is a two-time back-to-back Olympic champion from the 2012 London and 2016 Rio Olympics, a two-time World champion from t ...

world record A world record is usually the best global and most important performance that is ever recorded and officially verified in a specific skill, sport, or other kind of activity. The book ''Guinness World Records'' and other world records organization ...

. Amos remain the World Junior Recordholder from that performance. Amantle Montsho is the 2011 World Champion at 400 meters. Isaac Makwala is the seventh fastest 400 meter runner in history and he leads a promising

4x400 metres relay Four-wheel drive, also called 4×4 ("four by four") or 4WD, refers to a two-axled vehicle drivetrain capable of providing torque to all of its wheels simultaneously. It may be full-time or on-demand, and is typically linked via a transfer case ...

team that was in contention to medal at the

2016 Olympics ) , nations = 207 (including IOA and EOR teams) , athletes = 11,238 , events = 306 in 28 sports (41 disciplines) , opening = 5 August 2016 , closing = 21 August 2016 , opened_by = Vice President Michel Temer , cauldron = Vanderlei Cordeiro ...

until the closing steps of the race.

References

External links

* National members of the Confederation of African Athletics Athletics in Botswana Sports governing bodies in Botswana National governing bodies for athletics {{Botswana-sport-stub